letter which
had been followed by such fatal results, and never since that time had
he and Olive Castlemaine spoken to each other.

"I am glad to have this opportunity of speaking to you alone, Miss
Castlemaine," he said.

Olive did not reply, but waited for him to continue. For years her heart
had been very bitter towards him, in spite of the fact that she believed
he had revealed to her the real character of the man she had promised to
marry. But then Sprague's part in the affair was not altogether
honourable. He had been a party to the discussion which led to the
wager, and although on his own account he had done his best to persuade
Leicester from pursuing the course he had adopted, she could not think
of him without a feeling of anger.

"I do not know whether you were angry, or thankful to me, for writing
that letter," he said. "I never received any reply to it."

"There was nothing to which I could reply," she said.

"Perhaps not," replied Sprague, "and yet I have never known how you
regarded my action in the matter. That is why I am so thankful for this
opportunity of speaking to you."

"Pardon me," said Olive, "but would you mind letting the past be dead,
and forgotten? As you may imagine, it cannot be pleasant to me."

"I only wanted to know that you had forgiven me," said Sprague.
"Moreover, I wanted to tell you the truth. No one can be more ashamed
than I at the course events took. But I never dreamt that--that ever
your name would be mentioned. It was, as it were, forced upon me. As for
that letter--well, I felt I could do no other than write it. It would
have been cowardly, and base of me, not to tell you the truth."

"And what you told me was the truth--the whole truth?" asked Olive. She
spoke quickly and nervously, as though a great deal depended upon the
answer.

"As far as I know I told you exactly what happened--exactly. It seemed
to me you had a right to know, and that it would have been criminal on
my part if I had kept silent. That is what I wished to say."

"And now, having said it, will you never refer to it again."

"Just another word, please. You are not angry with me, that is, you do
not think badly of me because I told you?"

"I ought to be grateful to you for that part of your action in the
matter, and--I am."

She seemed to speak with an effort, but Sprague was evidently satisfied.

"You have chosen a beautiful place to live in, Miss Castlemaine," he
said; "and hundreds of p